I Am Very Small, and I Have No Money, So You Can Imagine the Kind of Stress That I Am Under.

[BuffyNvrForgets]

This is pretty much my life, as a young adult student, living at home, making $40 a week watching other people's kids as I try not to think about the fact that my family is huge and all expect Christmas presents from me that are not handfuls of dirt from my parent's garden.

I'm very calm on the outside but all 5 feet 2 inches of me are filled with stress.

So what's making your head explode this holiday season?

 

[Stake fodder]

I don't like the way Christmas has completely over-leaped Thanksgiving this year. It has been true for a few years that the ads did this, but this year they showed Christmas programs early, too, and the Christmas candy was even edging out Halloween candy in October!

But this is nothing compared to your stress! Perhaps tell your family that you made charitable donations in their names, and then don't do it?

 

[Cohen]

This will be my family’s first Christmas with my mother in her memory care facility, so this has been on my mind a lot lately. Because of her state, she will not be able to participate I. Christmas Eve at my grandmother’s house. Get togethers have been hard since we put her in there.

 

[BuffyNvrForgets]

I don't like the way Christmas has completely over-leaped Thanksgiving this year. It has been true for a few years that the ads did this, but this year they showed Christmas programs early, too, and the Christmas candy was even edging out Halloween candy in October!

But this is nothing compared to your stress! Perhaps tell your family that you made charitable donations in their names, and then don't do it?

YESSS SO TRUE!

Honestly, I hate how Christmas is getting so over commercialized. I’m always the one shouting at the TV for starting the Hershey’s Kiss “Wish you a merry Christmas” commercial in November.

haha! That’s a fantastic idea! I’ll keep that in mind.

Post automatically merged: Nov 29, 2021

This will be my family’s first Christmas with my mother in her memory care facility, so this has been on my mind a lot lately. Because of her state, she will not be able to participate I. Christmas Eve at my grandmother’s house. Get togethers have been hard since we put her in there.

That’s really hard. That’s really really hard. Thank you for sharing. I hope you know I’ll be thinking of you, and supporting you in spirit!

would you mind if I prayed for you, your family and your mother?

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

This will be my family’s first Christmas with my mother in her memory care facility, so this has been on my mind a lot lately. Because of her state, she will not be able to participate I. Christmas Eve at my grandmother’s house. Get togethers have been hard since we put her in there.

Oh God, I feel for you. Since my brother died and my mother's mind deteriorated, the very thought of Christmas is empty to me. (As are all family holidays) Mom used to cook a turkey, a ham, biscuits, sweet potato pie, green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes....and whatever else she could think of. She was a GREAT cook! And her Christmas gifts were always amazing. The family would drink egg nog, throw ribbons at each other, decorate my brother's cat with icicles, and dance to silly music. Sometimes there'd be a water gun fight, because my family is full of jokers. 😅 I remember once I had mom cornered with my water gun and she said, "I gave birth to you! You're my first born!" And I'm like, "You're still getting squirted."

This Christmas will be just another day for me. Even though I'm pretty sure my stepfather will ask us over. I just don't want to see my mother these days.

 

[Cohen]

Oh God, I feel for you. Since my brother died and my mother's mind deteriorated, the very thought of Christmas is empty to me. (As are all family holidays) Mom used to cook a turkey, a ham, biscuits, sweet potato pie, green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes....and whatever else she could think of. She was a GREAT cook! And her Christmas gifts were always amazing. The family would drink egg nog, throw ribbons at each other, decorate my brother's cat with icicles, and dance to silly music. Sometimes there'd be a water gun fight, because my family is full of jokers. 😅 I remember once I had mom cornered with my water gun and she said, "I gave birth to you! You're my first born!" And I'm like, "You're still getting squirted."

This Christmas will be just another day for me. Even though I'm pretty sure my stepfather will ask us over. I just don't want to see my mother these days.

I feel this to my core. While I hate we are both in this “club,” I am glad that we can relate to each other this way. There’s comfort among friends. I am dreading this Christmas, but I’m trying to stay positive.

 

[thrasherpix]

Most people don't have a clue about the storms ranging in my head. And I'm unusually depressed right now (with the most depressing dreams), though I'm hoping to snap out of it in a few days. I'm usually extra busy in December, but I'm going to try to do less than usual this year. This also seems to be the plan of those with me so that's convenient.

I'm worried about my mom and cousin, but don't know if I should be. I'm going to mail them both something, but not sure what yet. (I'd know if I was there instead of here, and would buy another cousin a present in that case, which would be useful but still appeal to our gallows humor.) They should be happy to get anything at all, even if it's a gag gift.

I'm thinking January and February might be good times to go shopping for some things I'm not willing to order online as the stores try to clear out what they didn't sell for the holidays and their returns (plenty of which are still good).